Marseille soap is made with olive oil and originally comes from the city of Marseille in Spain. A simple and refined soap that can be made in a variety of colors and fragrances, it has long been a favorite of amateur soap makers. Although there are several recipes, the essential ingredients of castile soap are quite simple and easy to obtain. The instructions below will get you started making your own homemade soap. After a couple of tries, try tweaking them to suit your personal needs and preferences.
Steps
Step 1. Measure your ingredients to have the following proportions:
1 part of palm oil, 1 part of coconut oil, 2 parts of caustic soda, 4 parts of water and 8 parts of olive oil. Liquids are measured in milliliters, while caustic soda is measured in grams.
Step 2. Pour caustic soda into cold water and mix
Stir until the soda dissolves completely.
Step 3. Let the mixture cool down to 38 degrees Celsius (or 100 degrees Fahrenheit)
Caustic soda considerably heats cold water when it is mixed into it. Cooling can take some time
Step 4. Mix the oils together
Heat them up to 49 degrees Celsius (or 120 degrees Fahrenheit).
Step 5. Slowly pour the caustic soda solution into the oil blend
Stir constantly.
Step 6. Stir vigorously until the soap reaches the “ribbon” stage
The "tape" is when you manage to leave a line in your preparation with the spoon. In other words, when the preparation reaches a consistency visibly similar to that of soap
Step 7. Mix the additional oils if you want to make a scented soap
Step 8. Pour your homemade liquid soap into the soap dish
Step 9. Match the soap molds to create regular shapes
Wrap them in towels.
Step 10. Let the soap sit for at least a day
Step 11. Remove the soap from the molds and place it on a drying rack
Let the soap sit for at least two weeks so it can dry.
Suggestions
- Try experimenting with additional essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, or orange, to make the soap fragrant and to add color. Add them in Step 7.
- If your homemade soap doesn't turn out the way you wanted it, don't despair - you can easily unravel it by boiling it and adding more water. Try again with this new blend.
- The drying process hardens your soap and makes it sweeter; let it rest for two full weeks before using it.
- A blender can make the process of adding caustic soda to the oil mixture easier and faster. It is important to fully combine the caustic soda solution with the oil, so be sure to mix them vigorously.
- Try changing the proportions of the base ingredients to add thickness, strength and scent to your soap. It is better to start with a small amount of caustic soda and add it later, rather than start with too much.
Warnings
- Be very careful when using caustic soda and adding it to the water. Rubber gloves and a well-ventilated room are great ways to avoid caustic soda burns and dangerous vapors.
- Marseille soap does not produce a lot of foam, so it is not recommended to use it for washing clothes or other materials. For showers and bathrooms, on the other hand, it is very effective.
